National [USA] Disgrace

[Rand]

Jan. 30, 2007, 2:12PM
More help urged for homeless gay youth


By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Two national advocacy groups Tuesday accused the federal government of neglecting what they described as an epidemic of homelessness affecting tens of thousands of gay and lesbian youth, many of whom leave home because of conflicts with their parents.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Coalition for the Homeless said gay, lesbian and transgender youth make up at least 20 percent — possibly as much as 40 percent — of the total number of homeless and runaway youth, a fluid population which experts have estimated at 575,000 to 1.6 million each year.

"The national response to this epidemic has been nothing short of disgraceful," Matt Foreman, executive director of the task force, told reporters during a teleconference.

He urged Congress to increase appropriations for the federal Runaway, Homeless and Missing Children Protection Act, which must be reauthorized next year, and said some federal funds should — for the first time — be targeted specifically at boosting programs to aid gay and lesbian youth.

Citing incidents of anti-gay harassment at homeless shelters, the task force and homeless coalition recommended that some shelter space be set aside solely for gay youth. They also said any organization seeking public funding to serve homeless youth should be required to prove its staff would treat gay and lesbian young people competently and fairly.

In a report completed in December, "An Epidemic of Homelessness," the two groups cited estimates that roughly one-fourth of gay and lesbian teens are kicked out of their homes after their parents learn of their sexual orientation. The report said many gay youths experienced physical violence during the process of coming out.

Once homeless, the report says, these young people are more vulnerable than their peers to problems of mental health, substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. The report's lead author, task force policy analyst Nicholas Ray, said about one-third of homeless gay youth engage in "survival sex" — exchanging sex for money, food, clothes or drugs.

Assessing existing programs for homeless youth, the report said public funding was inadequate, and asserted that more than 6,000 youths in 2004 were turned away from programs that lacked resources to help them.

The report also expressed concern that President Bush's push for federal funding of faith-based organizations might lead to situations where a church-run shelter program would discriminate against a gay youth seeking services.

Dilo Cintron, 25, a gay man who spent five years homeless in New York City, said staff at one shelter he used were so unsympathetic that they once walked by without intervening while he was being assaulted in a laundry room.

According to Ray, gay youths at a homeless shelter in Michigan were required to wear orange jump suits to distinguish them from other youths.

The report also cited several programs that were providing effective services to gay youth, including Green Chimneys in New York City, Waltham House in Waltham, Mass., the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, Ozone House in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Urban Peak in Denver.

 

[Croynan]

​

eM.

 

[GL]

Those statistics are alarming to say the least. And I'm sad to say that the stories of discrimination don't shock me as I would have expected it to be the case. Especially with the faith-based programs because of the religious angle. Thank you for sharing this story.

 

[ryankeith]

Deleted *changed my mind

 

[Christopher123]

The Salvation Army in my city will turn away Gay Youth if their Parents kicked them out for that reason, and if they're gay.

Why??????

I read, over the holidays, something about The Salvation Army being very gay-unfriendly. But I wasn't sure it went that far.

Are there any stories or articles anywhere about this? I'd really be interested in reading them.

I've recently thought about donating (volunteering) some of my time at the local homeless shelter. No reason, just because. I give them clothes and donate food, but I was thinking my 'time' would be more valuable.

Has anyone ever done this before?

 

[operafan]

Another horrifying example of national misplaced priorities. And another example of how a minority is so easily marginalized.

 

[gaddou]

This is a disgrace if the gov. does nothing it is a lot of taxes that are going down the drain.

 

[Joshua_me]

Sad beyond all words.

As rough going as it was for me when I came out to my parents, it never
even occurred to me that I might get kicked out of the house.

What sort of parents would turn their backs on their own children because of
their orientation and cast them out into streets ???

THIS is 'Christianity' ????

I'd better stop here before I type something I regret.

 

[Christopher123]

Well you see, they're apparently a very Christian Religion, and they beleive it's a SIn, and that you "CAN'T" be saved.

Ahh, well, I suppose that would explain it.

 

[Christopher123]

What sort of parents would turn their backs on their own children because of
their orientation and cast them out into streets ???

My father.

I personally never 'came out' to him. But I know that he knew. Or at least suspected. At that point I was no longer his son.

 

[gewhite3]

The Salvation Army sucks and I don't give them anything.....ever. A couple of years ago there was a push by several gay groups here in the Central Florida area to print fake money with a phrase about "this is gay money you could have had if you didn't discriminate" and drop it in their kettles at Christmas time. Great idea.

 

[glo-unit]

Man I didn't know SA was that homophobic, it's disgusting. getwhite that is a great idea, if fact I found the dollar.

http://entrylevelheiress.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/queerdollar2.jpg

Around Christmas if you want to screw with the bastards give them this.

 

[backpacker]

Very sad story. I hope the statistics are exaggerated, but I fear they are not. I still can't understand parents who reject their own kids for something that really doesn't effect them. Stories like this are truly disturbing.

 

[drhladnjak]

The numbers are really disturbing and I've seen them before. Think about the different scenarios under which a teen would end up homeless without his or her parents. Generally, that's only going to happen because the kid leaves home due to abuse or because the kid is kicked out by the parents for something considered irredeemable. It's easy to see why then that so many homeless youth are gay.

 

[Kurn]

Thanks for the heads up on the SA.

 

[luminum]

This is one of those hot issues for me. There's nothing that breaks my heart more than the idea of homeless lgbt youth and the lack of resources out there for them. Luckily, I live in Ann Arbor and near Detroit. Our camous LGBT office just began a volunteer program with Ruth Ellis and I'm the first volunteer on their list.

This is a huge problem. If I knew any homeless teens in my area, I'd roll out the sleeping bags in my room and every couch would be filled.

These teens have justd one something that took tons of courage and got kicked out of their homes. The trauma they're going through is unacceptable and the lack of resources only makes the situation even more hopeless for them.

Maya Keyes (daughter of the wretched gay-hating Alan Keyes) was kicked out of her home and said at a rally that she lived next to teens who had been kicked out and were stillt rying to get through highschool, doing their homework by streetlamp lights and parking structures. Friends getting assaulted on the streets or raped. It makes me furious and sick how some of my peers are forced to live.

It's fucking terrible.

The Salavation Army is a shit pile. While good, gay-friendly people may work there, the institution itself is very clear with its beliefs in the recent years. They fired LGBT staff and also fired gay-friendly staff, turned away homeless LGBTs, the whole works. Do not trust them. Donate to a charity that actually works for gay rights or is known to be equal to LGBTs.

 

[Franion]

Some years ago I did some work for a guy who had gone through a 12-step

programme for drugs and booze, and as part of his recovery he wrote and

published a book of his story.


I was given the job of calling round schools, hospitals and charities to offer

them free copies. Most were grateful and asked for a couple of boxes.

I called the local Salvation Army and somehow got through to the head bonzo.

He grilled me on the content (he could have had a sample) in a very unfriendly

way, then asked if there was any 'homosexual content'. Actually the author was

aggressively hetero, but described one homo incident when he was "out of it" -

he had a lot of guilt about it, and the account was in no way gay-friendly.

When I told him this, the "general" became so offensive, and started abusing

me for calling him.


So, you might be forgiven for thinking that my opinion of the SA is not very

positive.

 

[VICTORIADON]

This is not just a problem in the US.
It happens in Canada too.
I, in the past, have taken in two gay youths that were thrown out of their homes, one stayed for a few weeks until his parents "came around" the other stayed for a few months.
I never touched them, they just needed a break and somewhere safe for a while. They were good kids, never took anything, just needed some help and I was able to provide it.

 

[Rand]

My father.

I personally never 'came out' to him. But I know that he knew. Or at least suspected. At that point I was no longer his son.

I do not know the intensity of the hurt you felt; or the magnitude of his arrogance and stupidity. I do know that he shut himself off from a great guy, a good guy, one most of us are happy to call friend.

 

[chatolandia]

Wow!!!
I am very involved a charity event for a homeless shelter. I like helping them out. This particular one is for women and children; the average person they support is a 13 yr old girl. They are associated with the local Catholic Church.

Ironically, they are the ones that have the least amount of "rules" about whom they're helping, which is why I support them, even though I want nothing to do with the Church itself.
I've heard about other "Christian" shelters that only help people that have no drugs problems or that go to "their" church, otherwise they're out!